Binghamton( WBNG Binghamton) Have you wondered how you would care for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease?
Edward Bergman with the Alzheimer's Association spoke to the Binghamton Rotary.
5.4 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's and that number is estimated to grow to 16 million by 2050.
The biggest misconception?
Bergman says it is important not to correct a person with Alzheimer's.
He says repetitive questioning can come from boredom. Answer their questions and then move to a new topic.
" It's not a mental illness, it is a physical disease that attacks the brain and it effects our memories, our language skills, and how we learn. It essentially takes us," says Edward Bergman, with the Alzheimer's Association.
Bergman says the disease doesn't show any physical symptoms.
1 in 8 people 65 years and older have the disease and 1 in 2 people over the age of 85.
Bergman says research for a cure, and a drug to slow down the disease are in the works.
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